Latching mechanism



Patented Feb. 22, 1949 LATCHING MECHANISM Jack Pickford, Springeld, Mass., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation oi Pennsylvania,

Application July 19, 1845, Serial No. 605,891

1 Claim.

My invention relates to latching means of the type adapted to be used for detachably securing two members together.

One object of the invention is to produce improved latching means of the type set forth.

A further object of the invention is to produce latching means which, in securing two members together, also biases said members towards each other so as to take up any existing play and pro-v duce a tight abutment of said members against each other without the necessity of manufacturing said members or said latching means to very close tolerances.

A still further object of the invention is to produce improved latching means which will be compact, easy to operate, and inexpensive to produce.

These and other objects are eiected by my invention as will be apparent from the following' description and claim taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a tank type suction cleaner having an end bell secured to the body of the cleaner by latching means embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the latehing means in non-latching position to permit opening or removal of the end bell from the cleaner body; and

Fig, 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view on line IV-IV of Fig.` 2,

In the drawings, there is shown, by way of example, a tank type suction cleaner including an open-ended casing I0, end bells I2 and I4, and a lifting handle I6. The end bells may be altogether detachable or they may be hingedly connected to the adjacentends of -the cleaner casing so that they may be swung open when it is desired to have access to the interior of the Y cleaner.

The casing I houses a dust bag I8 and a suction-creating device, not shown, for drawing air through the dust bag. As shown, the end bell I2 is located on the low-pressure side of the suction device, and carries,vor has connected thereto, one end of a hose or conduit 20, the other end of which carries a. cleaning tool, not shown. The end bell I4 is located on the high-pressure side ofthe suction device and has an opening therein through which air drawn through the dust bag is discharged, as indicated by the arrow lnFig. 1.

The dust bag is detachably secured to the cas- 22 having a flange thereof secured to, or imy bedded in, a compressible gasket 24 which engages a seat 26 at the adjacent end of the cleaner casing. The seat 26 may be formed in any desirable manner, it being merely necessary that the gasket 24 be removable with the dust bag, and that it be in a position to be engaged by a collar or the like 28 vcarried by, or forming part of, the adjacent end of the end bell I2 to form an airtight seal between the cleaner casing and the end bell.

The latching means embodying the invention for detachably securing the end bell to the adjacent end of the cleaner includes a toggle-controlled latch mechanism carried by the cleaner casing and adapted yieldably to engage and move the end bell to, and retain it in, tight fitting abutment against the gasket 24. As shown, the latch mechanism' includes a lever 30, plvoted at 32 to a bracket 34 which is secured to the cleaner body by rivets 36. The latching means further includes a latch 38 which is provided with a hooked end portion 40 adapted to engage a recessed or dished portion 42 formed in the end bell I2. The latch 38 is carried by, or provided with, -a pin 44 which is movable in aligning slots 46 formed in, and extending longitudinally of, the side walls 48 of the lever 30. A spring 50 is connected at one end thereof to the` pin 44 and is connected at the other end thereof to a re-entrant portion 52 of the lever 30.

Operation When the lever 30 is moved out of the position shown in Fig. 3 toward the position shown in Fig. 2, the spring 50 pulls the pin 44 to the left, as viewed in the drawings, thus moving the hooked portion 40 of the latch 38 into engagement with the dished portion 42 of the end bell and drawing the end bell tightly against the adjacent end of the cleaner casing. Due to the fact that the pin 44 is free to move in the slots 46, the action of the spring serves to take up any existing play and produces a tight t between the end bell and the cleaner casing even though the casing, the end bell and the latching means, or any of them, may not have been manufactured to very close tolerances. When the lever 30 is in the Iposition shown in Fig. 3,-the tension of the spring is in line with the pivot 32 and the pin 44, and the lever will remain in this position until it is positively moved in the direction of the position shown in Fig. 2. When the lever 30 reaches the' position shown in Fig. 2. the tension of the spring will again be in line with the pivot 32 and the pin 44 and will serve to retain the latching mechanism in engaging position and prevent accidental disengagement of the end bell from the cleaner casing.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as applied to a tank type suction cleaner. it is obvious that the latching mechanism disclosed in equally applicable to other uses as well.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it Will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

Latching means including a xed support and a hollow lever of U-shaped cross section comprising a wall and side walls, said lever having one end thereof pivoted to said support. there being two longitudinally-extending slots formed in the side walls of said lever near the pivoted end thereof, a pin movable in said slots, a latch memconcealing said support.

JACK PICKFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are. of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,065,667 Donnell June 24, 1913 1,641,681 Kircher Sept. 6, 1927 1,824,912

Mears Sent. 29, 1931 

